Multiple cost codes

Abiquo 6.0.1 introduces multiple cost codes for extra charges and enables users to add cost codes for extra charges to VMs. You can now add multiple cost codes to VM templates, and to hardware profiles in private cloud. Abiquo will automatically add these cost codes to VMs you create with them, and you can add additional VM cost codes. There are new cost code units for usage per CPU and per user licenses. Abiquo accounting and billing support multiple cost codes.

Abiquo 6.0.3 renames the Cost codes feature to Extra charges in the UI, and introduces changes to the privileges. The Extra charges tab will display in the VM templates and VMs for all users that can edit them.

Manage cost codes

In Abiquo 6.0.1 and 6.0.2, administrators create cost codes in the Cost codes section in Pricing view.

• The privileges for viewing and managing cost codes in Pricing view are the ones for Pricing view: Access pricing view and Manage pricing.

• For hardware profiles, VM templates, and VMs, the additional privileges to manage cost codes are Add a cost code when editing a VM template and Access pricing view.

From Abiquo 6.0.3, we have removed the privilege to Add a cost code when editing a VM template.

The new privileges are:

• Manage hardware profile extra charges

• Manage virtual machine template extra charges

• Manage virtual machine extra charges

From Abiquo 6.0.3, these privileges are applied as follows.

Create a cost code for an extra charge

To create a cost code for an extra charge:

1. Enter a Name and Description that will identify the cost code for an extra charge for other administrators and users. The length of these fields was increased in Abiquo 6.0.1

2. The Type is the entity where you will use the cost code for an extra charge, such as Template, Hardware profile, Virtual machine, or All. The Custom service type is not supported yet

3. The Unit specifies how to calculate the cost using the cost code for an extra charge:

   1. Usage period is for usage x time

   2. Usage CPUs is for usage x number of CPUs

   3. Usage user licenses is for usage x number of users that you enter in the VM

   4. Subscription is only for Customer service types and it is not supported yet

As usual, you can enter the initial prices for a cost code for an extra charge.

And you can update these prices in a pricing model.

Apply cost codes for extra charges to VM templates and hardware profiles

The Extra charges tab will always display when you edit a VM template.

Before you begin:

• Check that you have the privileges to Manage virtual machine template extra charges and/or to Manage hardware profile extra charges.

To apply a cost code for an extra charge to a VM template:

1. Edit the VM template and go to extra charges
   

   

2. Click the + add button

3. Select an extra charge, click Add
   

   

4. After you finish adding extra charges and editing the template, click Save

You can also add an extra charge to a hardware profile in the same way.

Create VMs and add cost codes for extra charges

When you create a VM, Abiquo will automatically add cost codes for extra charges from the hardware profile and the VM template as inherited cost codes.

The user cannot change the inherited cost codes.

The Extra charges tab will display for all users who can edit the VM.

• You can add more cost codes for extra charges to the VM. This requires the privilege to Manage virtual machine extra charges

• If you are using a cost code for extra charges that will be billed for Usage user licenses, enter the number of users. This requires the privilege to Manage virtual machine extra charges

• When you later edit a VM and change the hardware profile, Abiquo will update the cost codes for extra charges.

Capture a VM and add cost codes

When you capture a VM, you can also add cost codes for extra charges of type Virtual machine or All.

When you release a VM, the extra charges will no longer apply.

Cost codes in accounting and billing

The accounting system represents the usage of cost codes with the costCode parameter. By default Abiquo accounts for cost codes and stores their data (meaning that the costCode usage is activated).

In previous versions and in Abiquo 6.0.1, to enable the cost_code usage in classic billing, you configure each cost code separately. Abiquo is currently reviewing this configuration.

# # Include the cost codes that are required in the CSV file
cost_codes=true
cost_code_1=true
cost_code_1_name=CCVM

Each bill will have one record of each cost code with the usage and price.